1. Field of the Invention
An input-force-responsive hand controller device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A hand controller that provides control signals according to input force applied to a handle, rather than according to gross movement of such handle, can offer advantages in terms of compactness and simplicity, particularly where such control handle effectuates force input to a considerable number of force sensors, as in control of a manipulator arm, for example, having six degrees of motion freedom, as in the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,042 of the same inventor and assignee as the present patent application. The hand controller in this prior art patent is a stiff-jointed simplistic replica of the manipulator arm it is intended to control and offers opportunity for obviating any need for coordinate transformation between the signals generated by force sensors at the stiff spring joints in the hand controller and the input commands to the actuators in the manipulator arm joints.